Academic Convocation

Primary Mark

About the Speaker: C. Peter Magrath

C. Peter Magrath assumed the presidency of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) on January 1, 1992. As CEO of the nation's oldest higher education association, Dr. Magrath represents NASULGC's member institutions in Washington, D.C., and in educational settings around the nation on issues of national importance to the higher education community.

Founded in 1887, NASULGC is a voluntary association of 204 public research universities and land-grant colleges located in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. Its universities enroll over 3.2 million students, award about one-third of all bachelor's and master's degrees, and grant 60 percent of the doctorates earned in the United States.

As past president of three public universities, Dr. Magrath brings a broad perspective on higher education to his current job, including a long history of leadership in international education activities. Among these, Dr. Magrath served on the Commission on the Future of the National Science Foundation in 1992-93. More recently, he organized the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities, which consists of 27 present and former presidents of major public universities and promotes an agenda of change and renewal as higher education moves into the 21st century. Dr. Magrath also serves on the Southern Education Foundation's advisory committee dedicated to promoting educational opportunity for African-American and minority students in the Southern states.

A political scientist with a bachelor's degree from the University of New Hampshire and a doctorate from Cornell University, he served as president of the University of Missouri System from 1985 to 1991. He was president of the University of Minnesota - with 60,000 students, the largest campus in the U.S. in terms enrollment - from 1974 to 1984 and president of the State University of New York at Binghamton from 1972 to 1974. All three universities are NASULGC institutions.

Dr. Magrath began his academic career at Brown University, moving from instructor to professor of political science between 1961 and 1968, including service as associate dean. Between 1968 and 1972, Magrath held faculty and administrative posts at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln - also a NASULGC member.

He is the author of numerous books and articles on American constitutional law and history, higher education, and international affairs, and he has been active on many national higher education commissions, task forces and committees. Dr. Magrath has been recognized with honorary degrees from Brown University; Lucian Blaga University, Sibiu, Romania; the University of Nebraska; the University of New Hampshire; the State University of New York at Binghamton; and, most recently, Michigan State University. In 1998, the University of Minnesota honored him by naming the central library on its St. Paul campus after him. He is married to Deborah C. Howell, Washington bureau chief for the Newhouse Newspaper Group and Editor of Newhouse News Service.

Former Speakers